Marion County deputies arrested Saddlewood Elementary School physical education teacher Jeffery Thomas Farris on October 30, 2026, after a former student reported that he molested her when she was 8 years old. He faces one count of lewd or lascivious molestation involving a child under 12. Farris denied the allegation in an interview with detectives. Investigators believe there may be other people who were harmed and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Marion County Public Schools says it disciplined Farris in 2017 for sharing a hotel room with a student wrestler on an overnight trip. That separate incident raises a question families deserve to have answered. After the district learned that a coach had shared a room with a student, what did it do to protect students who continued to be in his care?
Key Takeaways
- The criminal charge stems from an allegation involving a former Saddlewood Elementary student in Ocala, Florida. Deputies place the alleged incident between 2014 and 2017
- The district says it suspended Farris for six days in 2017 and reported the hotel-room incident to the Florida Department of Education. The earlier discipline concerned a separate student and incident.
- The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about similar conduct to call 352-732-9111.
What the Former Saddlewood Elementary Student Reported
The investigation followed the former student’s disclosure to a therapist. According to the arrest affidavit as reported by WFTV, she told detectives that Farris sent her into a gym equipment room, followed her inside, and touched her sexually over her clothing. She also described earlier occasions when he grabbed her waist or hips in front of classmates. Detectives reviewed school records that confirmed she attended his PE classes. Farris denied touching her inappropriately. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The district said it removed Farris from the classroom on October 20, when the Saddlewood allegation surfaced, and placed him on administrative leave. In its statement after the arrest, the district said it planned to terminate his employment and had notified families and staff at schools where he worked.
What Marion County Public Schools Knew in 2017
The district says Farris acknowledged sharing a hotel room with a student wrestler during a trip. According to the district, they slept in separate beds, and both told investigators that nothing inappropriate happened. Authorities filed no criminal charges in that incident. Reporting on the affidavit says Farris was removed as West Port High School’s wrestling coach. The district’s employment history identifies subsequent coaching work and shows he remained a Saddlewood PE teacher until the October 2026 administrative leave.
The district’s own account establishes that it knew about and disciplined the overnight room arrangement. The public timeline leaves open whether that discipline preceded the alleged Saddlewood incident, and whether any school official knew about the Saddlewood allegation before October 2026. A civil investigation could examine who reviewed the 2017 incident, what restrictions or supervision followed, whether officials at other schools learned about it, and how the district handled later coaching assignments. Those records could help explain how the district assessed student safety after the discipline.
How Families and Former Students Can Share Information
The district says Farris previously taught at Ward-Highlands Elementary and coached wrestling at multiple Marion County high schools, including Belleview, Dunnellon, and West Port. If you or your child had a similar experience, or you witnessed conduct that may help investigators, call the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 352-732-9111. An approximate year, a school name, or a team or tournament may help investigators identify relevant records.
If a child tells you that someone at school harmed them, listen and thank them for telling you. Give them room to share in their own words. Florida law requires reporting when someone knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has experienced sexual abuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Florida public school district face a civil claim for abuse by a teacher?
Depending on the facts and the law, a civil claim may examine the district’s own conduct, including whether it reasonably supervised an employee or responded to known concerns. Florida has specific rules for tort claims against public entities, including written notice requirements. An attorney can assess which rules and deadlines apply.
Does the 2017 suspension establish that the district knew about the alleged molestation?
The suspension documents the district’s response to the hotel-room incident. Whether officials had information about the alleged Saddlewood abuse at an earlier point is a separate question. The date and contents of any report, who received it, and what they did in response would matter.
What records could help a former student?
If you have school or team emails, text messages, travel schedules, or copies of complaints, keep them. Approximate dates and the names of people you told can also help identify records. You can speak with a Florida sexual abuse lawyereven if you have no paperwork.
Speaking With a Sexual Abuse Lawyer About Your Rights
If you or someone you love experienced sexual abuse by a teacher, coach, or other school employee, Andreozzi + Footecan help you understand your civil options. We offer free, confidential consultations.
Our Florida trauma-informed attorneys are here to listen, answer your questions, and help you understand your options.
We encourage you to contact us today for a free, confidential consultation.
Photos courtesy of Homes.com and Marion County Sheriff’s Office
